The Saps

Who? They’ve had an ever-changing lineup of musicians, but the Saps remain a favorite in the bustling Chicago indie scene. The quartet — comprised of Dan Lastick (guitar/vocals), Dan Menoni (guitar/vocals), Tony Sackett (bass/vocals), and Ryan Whitacre (drums) — is set to release their second full-length, C’mon Already — Start a Fire, Jan. 19.

What’s the Deal? The Saps’ forthcoming LP has roots in alt-country of the energetic sort, as if Wilco recorded A.M. on a sugar high and proceeded to invite Stephen Malkmus over for a havoc-wreaking play-date. If that’s not ambitious enough, the band even adds dreamy ooos and Cure-tinged riffs to their slightly off-kilter gems. Plus, irreverent lines like “I never brush my hair / No one seems to care” (“Coup de Grace”) make it all even more endearingly quirky.

Fun Fact: The band recently played a show at Chicago’s Beat Kitchen as the grand finale to the Windy City’s First Annual Connect Four Championship. SAMANTHA PROMISLOFF